A Grave Visitation
by Patricia de Lioncourt
Summary: The years have passed. Alucard takes some time out to muse over the graves of three people he has loved the most. In response to the Guild of the Fantastic Quill challenge.


A/N- This is in response to the Guild of the Fantastic Quill 2006 Valentine's Day challenge. It's a day late, I know, but due to some unforseen illness in yours truly, we postponed the challenge until today. Anyhow, please enjoy!

Disclaimer- I don't own Castlevania. That belongs to Knomai.

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**A Grave Visitation**

Alucard stepped out of the cab. His now black hair was pulled back into a ponytail at rest down his back. He was dressed in a black, expensive suit. As he paid the driver, he grinned. He thought his choice of color was appropriate considering his destination.

He heard the cab speed away as he approached the slightly rusted gate. It screeched open slowly. Alucard glanced up to see a sign that called this place "Belmont Cemetery."

He had been there many times over the centuries. Three people of whom he had loved the most were buried here. Now, with his head held down, he made his way to the first of three graves he was here to visit. It was large and decorated with two angels on either side. The name and date on the tombstone was still clearly visible. He ignored the date. He knew it too well. However, he spoke the name aloud.

"Sonya..."

Sonya. Truly, she was his first love. His father would probably argue that his first love was his mother. Alucard knew that he had been his mother's boy. Dracula often teased his son about his closeness to his mother. In his own defense, Alucard only really ever knew his mother. After her death, he had lost sight of everything. His mother's hopes for him, his emotions, everything he had previously held dear...gone. He then made the worst decision he had ever made before. He went into his father's service.

However, in a move rarely seen for a dhampire, Heaven smiled upon Alucard and sent Sonya Belmont to darken Dracula's door. He left his father's service and pursued this woman's affections. His life with her had been the most wondrous it had ever been. However, a beautiful accident occurred. Sonya became pregnant with his son.

It was this thought alone that brought him to the next grave. It was two away and decorated with a single carving of a whip on the top. Once again, he ignored the date. He knew this grave perhaps more than any other, as it was the one he visited most often. The grave of the son he never really knew. Trevor Belmont.

Of course, he had met Trevor in his life. He had helped Trevor defeat Dracula. However, the young Belmont never knew that his father was helping him defeat his grandfather. Perhaps his life was better off for it. He had married a young woman who had saved his life once. Alucard had already gone into his slumber by this time. It was a shame. He should like to have met his daughter-in-law.

This brought the dhampire to the final grave he had come to visit. It was several rows and graves back. The occupant of this grave was not a Belmont. The tombstone of this grave was adorned with a simple cross atop it. She was laid to rest here in honor of saving the life of her brother-in-law, Richter Belmont. Maria Renard. Alucard had met her inside Castlevania. She had fallen in love with him and his tragic demeanor almost upon sight. With a stab of guilt, he vividly remembered this young woman pleading with him to not re-enter his sleep. He had flatly told her that it could never be. It had broken her heart in two. She had died years and years later, un-married, childless, and still desperately in love with him.

He had ruined her life. He had reasoned then that it was all to avoid cursing her soul. But, had that been true? After all, had he cursed Sonya's soul? He had loved Maria. For the rest of his days, he had regretted the decision he had made.

"I will not ruin another soul's life, Maria. If I could do it again, we would have been together," Alucard whispered to the heavens above.

Sighing, he turned his back on Maria's, Trevor's, and Sonya's graves and made his way toward the gate to the cemetery. His head was held down again as he pushed open the gate. Then, he ran into an unexpected barrier. When he looked up, he gasped.

A young woman with hair the color of gold and eyes like a cold clear night sky sat upon the ground, scrambling to pick up papers she had dropped. This girl was the very image of Maria! Alucard bent quickly to help her gather the papers.

"I'm terribly sorry, Miss," he said.

"No, no, that's alright. Neither of us were watching where we were going. Oh, my boss is going to kill me!" she said, shuffling the gathered papers in her hand.

It was not until she stood that she met eye-to-eye with the dhampire. Her eyebrow arched.

"Have we...met somewhere before? I feel as if I know you," she said.

"No, I'm afraid we have not. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Adrian Tepes."

"Oh. I'm Mary Belmont. Tepes...are you...?"

Alucard put a finger to his lips. "Let's keep that to ourselves, if we can."

Mary smiled and nodded. "Your secret is safe with me. Now, excuse me. I have to go to work."

And she walked around him. He stood, paused. He knew that if he was going to live up to his promise to Maria, he had to do it now. However, just as he turned, Mary called back to him.

"Would you like to come to dinner at my place? I think you know where it is!" she called.

Alucard smiled. "I do, and I would love to. What time?"

"Seven, tonight! See you there!"

And she was gone. And Alucard had never felt more accomplished.

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End Notes: Did you enjoy it? I hope so. Please review! 


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